The Day of the Jackal (1973)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Frederick Forsyth (book)
Kenneth Ross (screenplay)

Release Date:

30 July 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The Jackal spent 71 days,56 minutes thinking a bullet into the brain of de Gaulle

Plot:

A professional assassin codenamed "Jackal" plots to kill Charles de Gaulle, the President of France.

Plot Keywords:

Assassin | French | France | President | Detective

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 10 nominations

Cast

Edward Fox	...	The Jackal
Terence Alexander	...	Lloyd
Michel Auclair	...	Colonel Rolland
Alan Badel	...	The Minister
Tony Britton	...	Inspector Thomas
Denis Carey	...	Casson
Adrien Cayla-Legrand	...	The President
Cyril Cusack	...	The Gunsmith
Maurice Denham	...	General Colbert
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	The Interrogator
Jacques François	...	Pascal (as Jacques Francois)
Olga Georges-Picot	...	Denise
Raymond Gérôme	...	Flavigny (as Raymond Gerome)
Barrie Ingham	...	St. Clair
Derek Jacobi	...	Caron

Also Known As:

Chacal (France)

Runtime:

143 min

Country:

UK | France

Language:

English | Italian | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:16 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Argentina:18 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

150 Rue de Rennes, Paris 6, Paris, France

Company:

Warwick Film Productions

Trivia:

The film features no soundtrack music other than digetic/background music from marching bands, street musicians and radios after the first five minutes.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the first minutes of the movie the man on the scooter turns right and passes a Peugeot 504 parked on the corner, this car came on the market only in 1969. The Renault 16, available from 1965, can be seen in different scenes of the movie. In the section of the movie where the Jackal makes his preparations for the assassination in Paris you can clearly see one passing the café on the Place de Rennes from where he observes the concierge.

Quotes:

The Jackal: Half a million. In cash. Half in advance, and half on completion.
Montclair: Half a million francs?
The Jackal: Dollars.
Montclair: Are you mad?
The Jackal: Considering you expect to get France in return, I'd have thought it a reasonable price.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Hellcats (#3.9)" (1990)

Oh Dear ...

... How am I supposed to review a thriller I liked a lot ? It's much easier to write comments on a thriller I disliked , a good example being that really crap movie with Bruce Willis hired by the Russian mafia and IRA man Richard Gere trying to stop him . I think you know the movie I'm talking about

Frederick Forsyth writes thrillers that not only entertain you but educate you too and Kenneth Ross has written a screenplay that reflects this type of writing . The characters aren't cyphers created just to push the plot along , you can really believe these policemen have been solving cases for years ( notice how the policemen are either dowdy or gruff or both . Very realistic ) while you just know " The Jackal " is the world's most effective hit-man . Director Fred Zimmerman films the movie the best way possible - As a docudrama . Okay it might be a little slow and European to some tastes thirty years after it was filmed but compare it to the aforementioned remake and tell me what ones more nailbiting and compelling ? No contest is it